"This incident was a scam as it did not take place on eBay Motors. Criminals often exploit well-known, trusted brand names like eBay to attract consumers and then lure them onto fake websites and into fraudulent transactions. We always encourage all our shoppers to be cautious when they aren't purchasing a vehicle directly through the eBay website. We provide tips for safe car shopping and warning signs to look out for scams on the eBay Motors Security Center page."

Our "responds tips" to consumers: Think of gift cards as cash. The FTC says the money on a gift card is hard to trace if something goes wrong.